USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 1887
GENEALOGY 974.402 P34P
LORD PELHAM.
[See pages 74 and 499.]
HISTORY
- OF -
PELHAM, MASS.
· FROM 1738 TO 1898, F
INCLUDING THE EARLY
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN .- ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS .- THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS .- THE REV- OLUTIONARY WAR .- SHAYS REBELLION .- SKETCH OF CAPT. DANIEL SHAYS .- CHURCH HISTORY .- THE REBELLION OF 1861-5 .- SKETCHES OF NOTABLE MEN, NATIVES OF THE TOWN, ETC., ETC.
By C. O. PARMENTER.
AMHERST, MASS .: Press of Carpenter & morehouse, 1898.
"THERE IS NO TOWN SO POOR
THAT IT'S PAST HASN'T FURNISHED SOMETHING
WORTH EMBALMING FOR POSTERITY."
-Boston Transcript, February 23, 1898.
1157667 Table of Contents.
SETTLEMENT OF PELHAM.
North of Ireland Scotchmen learn of America-Memorial to Governor Shute of Massachusetts sent by Rev. Mr. Boyd in 1718-One Hun- dred families sail for Massachusetts and land in Boston August 4, 1718-From Boston to Worcester-Then to Pelham in 1738- Description of Equivalent Lands purchased-North of Ireland Scotchmen in 1738,
· 7 to 13
PROPRIETORS' RECORDS. 1738 to 1743.
First meeting of Proprietors held at Worcester February 26, 1738-9- Articles of Agreement for purchase of Land made and indented October 20, 1738-Survey of the tract purchased with plan of the same and names of those who drew Home Lots-First meeting of Proprietors held on the newly purchased tract first called Lisburn, August 6, 1740-Various meetings of Proprietors previous to the Incorporation of the Town 1743-Meetings of Proprietors' organ- ization until 1767, 13 to 67
THE COMMUNION TOKEN.
Distributed to Members on Lecture Days-Gathered Again After Communion Service, . 68 to 74
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF PELHAM-TOWN MEETING RECORDS. From 1743 to 1763.
First Town Meeting held April 19, 1743, at the call of Robert Peibols- Full list of Officers Chosen-Voted to Establish Schools in 1744- Annual Town Meeting Records-Petition to General Court to Le- galize Acts of Town Officers in 1753-Invoices Given in for Taxa- tion in 1760-The Town Presented at Court in 1762 for "Volun- tarily Omitting and Neglecting to Provide Themselves with a Learned and Able Orthodox Minister"-Illegal Killing of Deer in 1763, and Penalty therefor, · 74 to 116
From 1763 to 1776.
Call of Rev. Richard Crouch Graham to Settle in 1763-Objectors Thereto-Warning of Objectionable Families to Leave Town- Pewing the Meeting-house in 1766 -- Allotment of Pews-Disagree- ment with the Shutesbury Selectmen About Town Lines in. 1769- Town Vendue in 1769-Death of Rev. Mr. Graham in 1771-Rev.
Jedoxred- 17.50
iv.
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Andrew Bay Supplies the Pulpit in 1772-Patriotic Response to the Boston Committee of Correspondence, 1773-Call to Rev. Nathaniel Merrill in November, 1774-Letter of a Pelham Man in the Army at Charlestown, 1775-Committee of Safety Chosen 1776 -Handbill from the Court of Independency 1776 . 116 to 132
From 1777 to 1786.
Valuation of Property for Taxation Established 1777-Rev. Mr. Mer- . rill's Appeal 1779-Large Increase of Salary 1780-Measures Taken to Secure Men for the Army 1781-Bounties Offered -- Action Taken to Procure Beef for the Army-Daniel Shays on Committee of Safety 1781-Selectmen Refuse to Call a Town Meeting 1782- Trying to Settle with the Three and Six Months Men 1783 .- Allowance to Soldiers in the Late War 1785-The Town Votes to Have a Bank of Paper Money Made 1786, . 132 to 157
From 1786 to 1797.
Petition of certain inhabitants of Belchertown in 1786-Convention at Bruce's Tavern, July 31, 1786-Mutterings about " Grievances " in Town Meeting-Delegates to Convention at Hatfield in August, 1786-Second Parish Organized 1786-Choice of Delegates to At- tend Constitutional Convention, 1787-First Justice of the Peace Appointed, 1788-Families Warned to Leave Town in 1790-91- First General Appropriation for the Poor, 1790-Support of the Poor First Sold to Lowest Bidder 1794-Laying Out Road to the Valley, 1795-Stipulation Concerning the Poor, 1797. 157 to 168
From 1797 to 1809.
Tranfer of Pews in the Old Meeting-house, 1798-Permission Voted to build " Horse Shades," 1799-Sale of Town Lands at Vendue, 1801 -Opposition to the Building of Turnpike, 1802-A Town Pound Established, 1804-Robert Lotheridge Sells His Pew in the Old Meeting-house-Voted to hold one-third of the Town Meetings in the Second Parish, 1805-Attempts to have the Toll-gate Abolish- ed, 1806-Samuel and Andrew Hyde Petition to have their Lands Set Off to Amherst, 1807,
From 1809 to 1815. 168 to 176
Two Candidates for Representative to the General Court, 1809-Taxes Upon the People, 1809-The Abercrombie Brothers, Isaac and James, Candidates for Representative, 1810-The 6th Mass. Turn- pike Corporation Tries to Discontinue Their Road Through Town, 1810-County Road to Enfield Laid Out, 1811-Governor Peti- tioned to Restore the Two Military Companies to their Former Regiments, 1812-Fear of a Draft for the War of 1812-Wages of Detached Soldiers Raised, 1814-The East Parish asks to be Set Off as a Town by Itself, 1815, . 176 to 183.
V.
CONTENTS.
From 1815 to 1824.
New Pelham-Order of Notice from the General Court to Show Why the Prayer of the Second Parish Should Not be Granted, 1819- The Town Votes Against Revising the Constitution, 1820-The Last Act of Opposition to Setting Off the Second Parish-The Town Rejects All of the Eleven Amendments to the Constitution, 1821-The East Parish Succeeds in Getting Set Off from the Old Town, 1822-Large Number Supported by the Town in 1822,-Sale of Common Lands and Proceeds go for Repairs on the Meeting S · 183 to 190 House, 1823,
From 1824 to 1861.
Council Called to Dismiss Rev. Winthrop Bailey in 1825-Great Flood of 1828 Does Damage-Ziba Cook Elected Representative by One Majority in 1829-Stove Used in Meeting House for the First Time in 1831-New Town Hall Wanted in 1835-Money Secured from the United States Treasury in 1837-Wanted to Change the Name of the Town in 1840-Libraries Established in 1842-Scheme for Two Town Halls in 1842-Old Meeting House Changed for Town Hall in 1844-Old Meeting House Rented in 1846-Many Candidates for Representative in 1850-51-Voted to Surrender the Charter in 1854-56-Enrolled Men in 1861, . 190 to 205
From 1862 to 1897.
Action for the Relief of Soldiers' Families, 1862-Draft for Men in 1863 -Heavy Taxes After the War-Number of Schools Reduced from Eight to Four in 1874-Few Town Meetings Annually After That- Blizzard of 1888-Death of Sylvester Jewett, 1892-History of the Old Meeting House, . 205 to 223
SCHOOLS-FROM 1744 TO 1897.
Establishment of Schools in 1744-School Committees-Appropria- tions of Schools for Each Year from 1744 to 1897, 223 to 234
MILLS, MANUFACTURIES, ETC.
Lands for Mills, 1739-Corn Mill, 1755-Stinson's Sawmill, 1760-Ham- ilton's Sawmill, 1785-Barlow's Sawmill, 1787-Town Takes Ac- tion, 1791 -- Mills Built on Home Lot 56, 1803-4-Many Owners of Mills in the Hollow-Stephen Fairbank's Carding Machine, 1815- Shoe Peg Business on Pergy Brook-Land for Mill at West Pel- ham, 1739-Scythe Shop and Foundry-Carding Machine, 1808- Jillson's Mills, 1820-Various Owners of Mills-Fishing Rod Busi- ness, 1858-Montague City Rod Co-Brown's Turning Shop-Char- coal-Stone Quarries-Miscellaneous Manufacturing-Innkeepers and Retailers-Merchants-Justices of the Peace-Physicians- Blacksmiths,
234 to 261
vi.
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The First Presbyterian Church History gathered from the town and parish records, the old church records having been lost or destroyed -From the Records of the Second Presbyterian Church and Par- ish of Pelham from 1786 to 1822-Confession of Faith-Records of Church at Pelham Center from 1822 to 1897-Quakers or Friends -Baptists at Packardville-The Methodists, Beginning with the Labors of Rev. Isaac Stoddard in 1831- Union Society at Packard- ville Organized 1869, . 261 to 294
REV. ROBERT ABERCROMBIE AND THE CHURCH AT PELHAM.
His Call to be their Pastor in 1742-Protest Against His Settlement in 1743-Ordained August 30, 1744-Sermon by Rev. Jonathan Ed- wards of Northampton-Home Lot No. I turned over to Mr. Aber- crombie as the First Settled Minister-Troubled to Collect His Salary in 1746-7-Charged by the Presbytery with Conduct Con- trary to Presbyterian Principles and Rules Governing the Church, and Forbidden to Preach at the Church in Pelham-Suppliers Appointed by the Presbytery-Final Suspension in 1754-Suit against the Town for Arrears of Salary in 1756-Statement of Dif- ferences with the Presbytery made by Mr. Abercrombie in Letters to a Friend,
STEPHEN BURROUGHS, THE SUPPLIER. . 294 to 319
Obtained a Situation as Supplier in Spring of 1784-Preached Acceptably Four Sundays-Reengaged for Four Months-Read an Old Sermon at a Funeral-Given a Text from which to Preach with Little Time for Preparation-Proved his Ability to Preach Extempore-With One Sunday More to Preach was Found to be an Imposter-Fled in the Night-Pursued by the Indignant Peo- ple-Fracas at Rutland-Came Back to Pelham in the Night to His Friend Lysander-Passed Counterfeit Dollars in Springfield and was Imprisoned-The Hay Mow Sermon, · 320 to 340
PELHAM IN THE WARS.
French War-Revolutionary War-War of 1812-Mexican War-The Great Rebellion-A Full Company of Men in the French and In- dian War, 1757-Opening of War of Revolution-Ironclad Oath of Pelham Men .- Capt. David Cowden's Company of Minute Men. April 19, 1775-Old Muster Rolls-Names of Men-The March to Cambridge in the War of 1812-Pelham Men in the Great Rebel- lion-Sketches of the Men and the Regiments in which they Served, . 341 to 365
THE SHAYS REBELLION OF 1786-87.
Capt. Daniel Shays, a Pelham Man-Gathering of Debt Burdened Men in Conventions-Lists of Grievances Formulated-Opposition
I
CONTENTS.
to Lawyers in General Court-Opposition to Sittings of the Courts -- Terms of Court Prevented by Armed Men-Court Houses in Pos- session of Armed Insurgents-Gov. Bowdoin Calls Out the Militia -Warrants Issued for Arrest of Insurgent Leaders-Gen. B. Lin- coln Given Command of Militia-Gen. Shepherd's Detachment Guarding the Arsenal at Springfield-Shays Marches to the Attack -Repulsed-Several Men Killed-Flight of Capt. Shays and Men to Pelham-Gen. Lincoln Pursues-Shays' Men Dispersed at Peters- ham, . 366 to 390
CAPTAIN DANIEL SHAYS.
Born at Hopkinton-In the War of the Revolution-In Pelham After War -- A Friend of Landlord Conkey-Met Debt Burdened Men at Conkey's Tavern-Drilled them in Use of Arms-Became Rebel Leader-Fled from the State-Was Pardoned in 1788-Removed to State of New York-Did not Prosper in Business-Drifted to Livingston County-Died in 1824 After Living in Extreme Poverty at Sparta, . 391 to 402
SETTLEMENT OF SALEM, N. Y., BY PELHAM PEOPLE IN 1764.
James Turner and Joshua Conkey First Settlers of Salem-Journeyed Through the Forests on Foot in 1761-Took Up Lands-Went Back to Pelham for the Winter-Made Permanent Settlement in 1764- Hamilton McCollister Joined the Pioneers-The Settlement Known as New England Colony-Were Men of Character-Had Highest Esteem for Religion-First Sermon Preached was in the Cabin of James Turner, · 403 to 41I
PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS MEN, NATIVES OF PELHAM.
The Record a Good One-Have made their Mark as Professional and Business Men in Many States-Wells and Edward Southworth, Business Men-Daniel, James and Austin W. Thompson, Leading Physicians of Northampton-Ira P. Rankin, Business Man and Government Officer, San Francisco-Dr. James Dunlap of Northampton-Dr. Harvey Willson Harkness, Scientist, San Fran- cisco-Judge Ithamar Conkey of Amherst-Col. James N. Smith, Railroad Builder, Brooklyn-Nathaniel Gray, San Francisco- Rev. Aldin Grout, Missionary-William Smith Otis, Inventor, Etc. -Dr. Israel H. Taylor of Amherst, . 412 to 446
JOHN SAVAGE AND JOHN STINSON.
Prominent Citizens of Pelham in the Middle of the 18th Century, but not Natives of the Town, · 446 to 449
CONCERNING THE WOMEN OF PELHAM.
Reputation for Industry-They Introduced the "Little Wheel " for Spinning Flax-They Taught Its Use-They Spun and Wove Linen
2
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
-Also Wool, and made the Cloth into Garments-Made Domestic Braid from Rye Straw-Braided or Platted Palm Leaf into Hats -Wove Palm Leaf into Webs for Shaker Hoods-Marriages- Published Intentions of Marriage-Births- Form of Death Record, Etc., . 450 to 469
MOUNT LINCOLN.
Description of the Mountain-Many Towns Seen from its Summit -- Beacon Fires During the Revolution-Station for Geodetic Survey -Heighth Above Tide Water-Uncle Reuben Allen, 470 to 472
OLD BURIAL PLACES.
A Sketch of each of the Eleven Burial Places of Pelham-The Old Burial Ground at the Center-The West Burying Ground-The Quaker Burying Ground-The Arnold Burying Ground-The John- son Family Burial Place-The Smith Private Burial Ground-Bur- ial Ground near George Knight's-Packardville Burying Ground- The Valley Cemetery-The West Pelham Burying Ground-The Cemetery on the Prescott side of the East Hollow, · 473 to 481
TAVERNS AND LANDLORDS.
The Tavern of Thomas Dick-The Old Conkey Tavern-Dr. Hind's Tavern on Pelham East Hill-Kingman's Tavern on the West Hill-Cook's Tavern-The Orient House-Hotel Pelham, 482 to 487
OLD ADVERTISEMENTS, ETC.
Stray Cattle and Horses-Taken in Damage and Otherwise-Clear Description of Animals-"Marks for Creaturs", Posting of War- rants for Town Meetings, 488 to 490
STORIES-PLEASANT AND OTHERWISE.
De Rex vs. Hyde-Rev. Robert Abercrombie and the Church Commit- tee-Rev. Dr. Parsons of Amherst and the People of Pelham- Farmer Harkness and the Traveler-Crimes-Prince Dwelly Loses His Life-Charles Stetson Shot April 11, 1881 -- Marion Mont- gomery Kills His Son December 26, 1882, · 491 to 498
SKETCH OF HENRY PELHAM-1696-1754.
From Memoirs of Henry Pelham, by William Coxe, Vol. 2, 301-304, 499 to 501
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GENERAL COURT -- 502-503.
TOWN OFFICERS.
Moderators of Annual Town Meetings-Town Clerks-Town Treas- urers-Town Selectmen-1763 to 1898 Inclusive, · 503 to 508
List of Illustrations.
Page.
Lord Pelham, Facing Title Page. Pelham Center from the North, 7 Plan of Town of Pelham, with Home Lots, 25
Second Plan of the Town,
Three Divisions of Land, 30
Capt. Thos. Dick's Gravestone, 51
Upper Reservoir, Apple Trees in bloom, May, 1898, 5I
The Token, 68
Town Meeting, March, 1897, 77
Capt. Benjamin Page's House, Rankin Farm, 98
Abijah Fales' Farm House, 98
L. W. Allen's Sawmill, II6
S. F. Arnold's Residence, II6
The Rocking Stone,
I32
House on Joel Grout Farm, Owned by Henry Cook, I32
Stephen Rhodes' Residence, 157
C. P. Hanson's Residence, 157
The Jewett, or Harkness House, in Winter, 176
J. R. Anderson's House, in Winter, 176
To the Cider Mill,
205
On the Sandy Road to Amherst
Market,
205
Sylvester Jewett, 217
The Communion Service of the Scotch Presbyter'n Church, 217
The Old Pulpit of the Old Meeting House, 217
The Old Meeting House,
217
William Gilmore's Invoice for Taxation, 1760, 22I
First Town Meeting Warrant, 222 Residence of Mrs. A. Morgan, 223 The " City "School House, 223 The Valley School House, 229 The Valley Bridge, 229
Dam and Bridge, West Branch, 236 Up the Valley of the West Branch, from the Cemetery, 236 Dam at Fishing Rod Factory, West Pelham, 242
Montague City Fishing Rod
Company's Factory, 242
Residence of David Shores, 245
Page.
Charcoal Kilns, near Pulpit
Hill, Pelham Hollow,
245
M. E. Boynton's Residence,
254
Tombstone of Edward and Elizebeth Selfridge, 254
Pelham Center from the South, 282 Daisies Among the Graves, Old Burying Ground, 282
Union Church, Packardville, 288 M. E. Church, West Pelham, 288 Autograph Manuscript by James Conkey, 1746-7, 301
The Protest,
302
The Grave of Adam Johnson, 302
Receipt or Discharge Given by Rev. R. Abercrombie, 312
Stephen Burroughs, 322
View in West Pelham, near the Fishing Rod Factory, 34I
Falls on Pergy Brook, Pelham Hollow, 365
Amherst as seen from Pelham Before 1850, 365
Home of Capt. Shays in Pelham 391 Abial Robinson Farm House, 391 Facsimile of Capt. Shays' Handwriting, 393
Up the East Hill, (Prescott) 399
Wells Southworth, 412 Edward Southworth, 414
Ira P. Rankin, 417
Dr. James Dunlap, 418
Dr. Harvey Willson Harkness, 421 Judge Ithamar Conkey, 425
Birth Place of Judge Ithamar Conkey, 425
Col. James N. Smith,
428
Nathaniel Gray, 430
Rev. Aldin Grout, 432
The Buffum Brook, 432
Otis Patent Steam Excavator, 436
Thomas Buffum, 440
Dr. E. Ward Cooke, 444
Uncle Eseck Cook Farm House, 444 Mrs. Betsey Otis Smith, 461
Tower on Mount Lincoln, 470
Boiling Cider,
470
View from the Enfield Road
Toward Pelham Center, 47I
4
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Page.
The Reuben Allen Place, 472
The East School House, 472
Samuel Davis' Residence,
The Old Graveyard, Center, 472
474
J. W. Keith's Residence, 474
Tomb in Smith Private Ceme- tery, 477
The Arba Randall Farm House 477
The Old Conkey Tavern Sign, 482
The Old Conkey Tavern, 482
Page.
Ziba Cook's Tavern, 484
Waterfall on Dunlap Brook, 484 Orient House, West Pelham, 486
Hotel Pelham, 486
View from West Bury'g Ground, 498 View of Prescott from the North, 498 High Water in the West Branch, 1897,-Vanstone's Mill and Bridge, 507
Stone Bridge, Dunlap Brook,
507
Errata.
Page 17-Fifth line from the bottom Abraham Should be Adam.
6 76 -- Sixth line from bottom read 1742 in place of 1752.
265 -- Fifth line from top read Andrew for William.
PREFACE.
After earnest and repeated solicitation on the part of friends, who set forth the desirability and the urgent need of the work being done, the task of preparing a history of the Town of Pelham has been commenced and it is expected that the work will be carried forward and up to January 1, 1896-158 years from the first settlement of the town.
It will be evident to all who give the subject a little thought, that the history of this town must be largely a transcript of the existing records. All that can be made known to the public must be drawn from that source. . The earnest, zealous, strong-minded Scotch Pres- byterian settlers finished their labors long years ago. We cannot appeal to them for facts,-their record of events is all we have.
These records consist of town and parish record books mostly .. The old Presbyterian church records have disappeared within the past twenty years, and thus one very interesting source of informa- tion concerning the social, religious and family life of these people is beyond our reach.
In the records accessible, we have little or nothing respecting the social or family life of the people. The records of Marriage Inten- tions, Marriages, Births and Deaths contain all that there is con- cerning the wives and daughters. No record of their work appears. We know they spun wool and flax, they wove the stout cloth for their husband's and son's wear, as well as for themselves. They knitted the yarn, they sewed the cloth into garments-but there is no hint or intimation in the records of their having any part in the social or business life of the settlement.
Exciting events required action by the town ; but the record of such action fails to convey to us anything of the active stirring interest 'which the events themselves developed among the people. We cannot hear the animated discussion and debate, which we know occurred often, and was long-continued and sharp, as we read the dull record of their decisions.
The plan thus far pursued has been to give every town meeting record a careful reading, and to copy whatever might be of interest to anyone interested in the history of the town. In many instances.
2
6
PREFACE.
the complete record of town meetings, including the warrants under which they were held, have been copied entire and will be so printed.
Names of town officers are given-not every year, and every officer, but for many years the full roster of officers, down to tything- men and "Hog Constables", are given. The purpose being to get as many names of inhabitants in print as possible.
The action of town meetings upon all matters of peculiar or extra- ordinary interest will be given in full, especially action of the town during the stirring times of the Revolutionary war. The names of all who served in that struggle, and all those that were drawn into rebellion against the state government, under Capt. Daniel Shays, will be given, so far as they are obtainable.
Shays Rebellion will be given ample space, and the entire corres- pondence between Gen. Lincoln, in command of the state militia at Hadley, and Capt. Daniel Shays and other insurgent leaders while they with their 1100 followers were occupying East and West hills in Pelham in the bleak winter of 1787, will be included.
The Stephen Burroughs episode will not be omitted, nor will any other event of interest or importance of which there are accessible records.
The entire contents of the book containing the Records of the Lisburn "Propriety", excepting the descriptions of the 183 lots of land into which the tract was divided in the three divisions, have been copied, and a reproduction of the plans of the surveys of William Young in 1739, which he submitted, and were made a part of the record, have been prepared for the work. A line drawing of the old Meeting House, where for 153 consecutive years the people of the town have gathered for town meetings, has been prepared in a plate for printing in the book; also a half-tone plate of the old Conkey Tavern in the Hollow, which was burned in 1883.
The above is a brief outline of the work proposed, and the prepar- ation will continue, but no further printing will be done until some expression of the demand for the completed work is obtained, in order to decide how many volumes may be disposed of. The responses received from people who may desire such a history as may be gathered from the materials available will determine how many volumes shall be printed or whether any completed ones shall issue. C. O. P.
February 3, 1896.
PELHAM CENTER FROM THE NORTH.
--- -
-
The First Settlers of the Town of Pelham.
The people who settled in Pelham in 1738-9 were of Scotch origin, as many of the sturdy names would indicate if it was not definitely known that they were such. They came to this country from Ireland and were commonly called Scotch-Irish, though nothing was more offensive than the term Irish as applied to them, and the only reason why it was ever attached to them came from the fact that these people and their ancestors had lived in the North of Ireland for many years. They were Scotchmen living in Ireland, and as they hailed from that island on their arrival here, it was natural that while their real nationality was quite apparent, their coming from the Green Isle caused the use of the double name to express their nationality.
The history of these Scotch people in Ireland, and the reason of their being there, may properly be given here briefly.
During the reign of James I. his Catholic subjects in the north of Ireland rebelled, and upon the suppression of the rebellion two million acres of land, comprising nearly all of six northern counties, came into possession of King James as sole owner.
His Scotch and English subjects were offered liberal inducements in the way of grants of land, and in other formal ways, to leave their own country and homes and settle upon these vacated lands in the north of Ireland, from which the Catholic Irish had been expelled.
Believing that good homes could in this' way be secured, large numbers of Scotchmen of strong Presbyterian faith settled upon these lands as early as 1612. In the reign of Charles II. there were further accessions to their numbers, but it was in the latter part of the century, during the reign of William and Mary, that by far the larger number migrated.
In their new homes they were allowed to worship according to their own faith and forms of worship, but were obliged to contribute one-tenth of their income in support of the clergy of the established church. They also became aware of the fact that they were only tenants of the crown, and could never own the lands they cultivated in fee.
8
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
The natural emnity between their Catholic-Irish neighbors in adjoining counties, and these sturdy Scotch Presbyterians was of such a nature that it did not render their condition one to be desired, or to be long endured, and they began to cast about for relief.
They had heard of America, and had learned something about it from one who had been there and returned to them, and they desired to know more. 'In the year 1718, they sent Rev. Mr. Boyd to Mas- sachusetts to present an address to Governor Shute, in which their desire to settle in New England was expressed. The address borne by Rev. Mr. Boyd was signed by more than two hundred men, nine of them being ministers of the gospel, besides three other graduates of the University of Scotland, and among the signatures are found the names of John Gray, William Johnson, James Gilmore and James Alexander, who were among the first settlers of this town, in 1739. Also the names of Alexander Dunlop, M. A., Thomas Dunlop, and Andrew Dunlop, doubtless ancestors or relatives of James Dunlap, who was in Pelham as early as 1743, and probably earlier.
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